2014 Auto Expo: Honda Mobilio MPV unleashed in India

Snapshot: Based on the Brio hatchback, the Moblio MPV will be offered in both petrol and diesel fuel options.

Honda’s onslaught of re-writing the company’s history, which began last year with the first ever diesel engine equipped Honda Amaze sedan has gained significant momentum with the all-new Honda Mobilio MPV that has just made its debut in the country at the on-going 2014 Auto Expo. First seen at the Indonesian Motor Show in 2013 at Jakarta, the Mobilio is the third Honda car that has been derived from the Brio platform after Brio hatchback and the Amaze sedan.

Especially designed for emerging markets in Asia, the Mobilio features sporty styling on the outside, while retaining a comfortable cabin on the inside with a seating capacity of seven in a three two configuration. At the front, the Mobilio MPV gets a bigger grille that its hatchback counterpart and thicker chrome bar running along the center. The bumper gets a new faux air dam at the bottom while the fog lamps remain the same as those on the Brio. The side profile of the Mobilio features aggressive design cues some of which are borrowed from the Brio itself. At the rear however, the shift from a hatchback to that of an MPV is evident with modified B-pillar and wrap-around tail lamps, which give the car a pillar-less look.

Under the hood, we expect to see the current 1.2-litre petrol unit and the 1.5-litre diesel engine that currently serves the Amaze. The engine will come mated to a 5-Speed manual gearbox. We also hope to see an automatic gearbox thrown in the mix.

The Honda Mobilio MPV is scheduled to launch in the Indian market during 2014-15 and when it does it will compete with the likes of Maruti Suzuki Ertiga, Toyota Innova, Mahindra Xylo, etc. We expect the price tag of the Mobilio MPV to read between Rs 7.0 lakh and Rs 12 lakh. Manufacturing of the Mobilio MPV will be carried out at Honda’s new upcoming plant in Rajasthan, which is scheduled to become functional around April 2014.